A Podcast for Artists and Entrepreneurs

What business does an attorney have hosting an interview show about the arts and entrepreneurship? I'm not gonna lie; it's been a lot of fun getting to know the creative processes of writers, producers, entertainers, entrepreneurs. But it has been also useful for me as an attorney to better understand the needs of my clients. 

"How I Broke Into" is finally here. It has been exhilarating hearing the stories of truly creative individuals, and some themes resonate with each one of them. There were many struggles and perceived failures along the way to success, taking control of one's destiny often requires at least a moment of assertiveness and decisive action, and cultivating interpersonal relationships matters.

Our first interview is with the wonderfully talented Pang-Ni (Bonnie) Landrum, a comedy writer who knows how to tell great stories. She is an old friend, and knew off the bat that she would be the very first episode of "How I Broke Into," which meant she was setting the tone for the whole podcast. Her interview does not disappoint.

Pang-Ni, a recovering Big 10 mascot and daughter of an Asian tiger mom and a Southern military cop dad, has written on both comedy and drama shows including Malcolm in the Middle and JJ Abrams’ Six Degrees. She has sold pilot scripts to Sony, Touchstone Television and E! A co-founder of SeaGlass Theatre in Los Angeles, she also writes and produces the micro web series, The Aftermooners. Through Words Empower Media, Pang-Ni and co-creator Jennifer Quintenz, publish anthologies of short stories written by fellow television writers to benefit non-profits. In 2014, their inaugural release, EMPOWER: Fight Like A Girl raised funds for the Lupus Foundation of America while the proceeds for the upcoming EMPOWER: Mind Over Matter will go toward brain cancer research. Follow Pang-Ni on twitter and periscope: @pangni.

Recommended sites:

Deadline.com
Variety.com
HollywoodReporter.com
TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com
TubeFilter.com

Recommended writing books:

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
On Writing by Stephen King
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

Biggest mistake: "Not keeping in touch."
Smartest move: "Learning how to draw from my life." 
When she knew she really broke into television writing: "1) When the money I was sending my mom was more than what my dad was sending her for alimony, 2) when my former writing partner and I were on Malcolm in the Middle & we got picked up for a second season."
Productivity Hack: Using Siri to record thoughts while driving.

Each podcast is hosted on LibSyn at HowIBrokeInto.com